Facts about England


  • The earliest known evidence of human presence in the area now known as England was that of homo antecessor, dating to approximately 780,000 years ago.
  • Below the regional level, all of England is divided into 48 counties
  • With over 53 million inhabitants, England is the most densely populated of the United Kingdom, accounting for 84% of the combined total
  • 59.4% of the population is Christian, 24.7% non-religious, 5% is Muslim while 3.7% of the population belongs to other religions and 7.2 did not give an answer

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England and its Counties

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Traditional British Steak Pie

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The British Flag


Regional Influences


There have been three major influences on British Cuisine, These are 1) Different settlers since the ancient times who have varied and added to the national dishes. These include the Romans, the Vikings and the French. 2) The expansion of the British empire as when the ex patriots returned they brought back food from the colonies. For example English Breakfast Tea originally came from East Asia but has since become a staple of the British cuisine. 3) The war years also had a major impact as food was scarce and therefore it brought the British people back to more traditional cooking using mainly staple foods rather than more exotic imported goods.

Traditional Meals

  • Sunday Roast using featuring Chicken, Pork, Beef or Lamb joint
  • Fish and Chips
  • Full English Breakfast including bacon, sausages, grilled tomatoes, fried bread, black pudding, baked beans, mushrooms, and eggs.
  • Sausages and Mash Potatoes colloquially known as Bangers and Mash.
  • Meat Pies such as Steak and Ale or Steak and Kidney.

Recipe for Traditional Steak and Ale Pie


  • 1/2 tbls Oil- I used olive oil.
  • 1kg Braising Steak stripped of big fatty pieces and cut into chunks;
  • 2 Garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 Large Onion chopped roughly
  • 2 Large Carrots chopped into discs
  • 500ml Strong Ale
  • 4 Beef Oxo cubes
  • 1 Vegetable cube
  • 1/2 tsp Chilli powder
  • 2-3 tsp Thyme, or a small handful of fresh thyme if preferred
  • 300g Ready to roll puff pastry
  • 1 Egg, beaten lightly, to glaze
  • pepper and salt to taste
  • You may also want to use Mushrooms, Peas, Potatoes or any other desired vegetables in this pie - depending on what you are serving with!
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British Steak and Ale Pie


Christmas in England


In the United Kingdom, the traditional meal consists of roast turkey, served with roast potatoes and parsnips and other vegetables as well as pigs in blankets and stuffing.
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Traditional British Christmas Lunch


This is followed by Christmas pudding, a heavy steamed pudding made with dried fruit, suet, and very little flour. This is usually served with brandy butter or brandy cream and arrives at the table on fire after being covered in brandy and set alight.
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Traditional British Christmas Pudding